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Kingpins Of Human Trafficking Refuse Bail
On Tuesday, two alleged human trafficking bosses from Bangladesh showed up at the Nelspruit Magistrate Court and gave up their request for bail.
A charge of violating the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act was brought against Mujahid Hussain and his co-accused, Ishan Ullah, in court.
Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi, a Hawks spokeswoman in Mpumalanga, reported that 19 foreign nationals were found trapped inside a home in Kamagugu, a township west of Mbombela and that this led to their arrest.
“On arrival at the address, the gate was locked. The team managed to gain entry into the property. They found 19 males packed into a three-bedroomed house without furniture.
“Preliminary investigation established that 14 of those detained were Bangladeshi and five were Pakistanis. The police recovered 18 passports, 27 cellphones, cellphones chargers. The items were packaged together and kept by the caretaker.
“The suspects, who could not communicate in English, had passports that were not stamped by South African immigration,” Sekgotodi said.
According to Sekgotodi, “both accused remanded in custody.”
On May 23, their case was continued for additional investigation and a plea. On Monday, a decision will likely be made on Gerhard Ackerman, who is accused of running a sex trafficking ring that involved minor boys.
The case’s judge announced that due to illness, he would be unable to read the verdict aloud. The verdict will reportedly be read over two days next week.
Ackerman has entered a not guilty plea to the more than 740 criminal accusations he is facing, which include attempted murder, rape, the creation and distribution of child pornography, and people trafficking.
Ackerman was indicted for allegedly leading the human trafficking ring between September 2020 and July 2021 along with the acting judge and senior attorney Paul Kennedy.
Kennedy died after committing suicide.
